


Home to Avonlea

by Avonlea



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne - Freeform, Anne Shirley - Freeform, Anne Shirley Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables - Freeform, Anne with an E - Freeform, Avonlea - Freeform, F/M, Fanfic, Gilbert Blythe - Freeform, Love, Story, netflix, new
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-08 14:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14107557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avonlea/pseuds/Avonlea
Summary: "Come home some day."Gilbert Blythe has been away for almost two years. Upon his return to Avonlea, he finds much has changed. And what has happened to Anne?An Anne with an E story - Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley CuthbertAll rights reserved to @avonlea





	1. home

"Come home some day."

The words had stuck in Gilbert's head ever since that day. The last time he'd seen her since he left, hired on a steamer to New York. Anne Shirley Cuthbert, the tempestuous, imaginative and talkative girl who he'd had a fierce academic competition with at school. They were more than adversaries though, he knew it.

Gilbert secretly adored Anne. It was even a secret to himself, as he didn't know it yet. She was magical to him. She brought so much colour and excitement into his life. He had missed her dreadfully while he was away, although he didn't like admitting it. He was eager to tell her all about his travels.

They had a history of disagreements but they'd parted on good terms. They'd also parted on disaster, as Anne's family were struggling desperately with money and were facing bankruptcy. He was awfully worried about how it had all turned out and he'd thought of her often, hoping the best.

Gilbert felt uncommonly nervous. He was walking to Green Gables at that moment, a bunch of wildflowers in his hand and a skip in his heart. He had reached Avonlea late last night and unpacked this morning. His father's farm had been kept up well in his absence, and he felt as though that was down to his housekeeper and perhaps Mr Cuthbert. Coming home brought up a lot of feelings about his father's passing.

Nobody in town knew that Gil was home yet. He wanted it to be a surprise. But he had to see Anne before anyone else, although he wasn't sure why. They were never quite friends. There was a strange urge in him to see her freckled smile, her bright eyes.

A silly notion of flowers had popped into his head on the walk over. He knew that Anne adored nature and especially flowers and considered them sublime. But flowers sure did have romantic connotations and he felt shy giving her them. He was sure she'd react dreadfully and they'd never be able to become good friends.

Gilbert hastily stowed the flowers on the grass by the path and continued on his way.

Flowers? What was he thinking? He never seemed to get anything right when it came to Anne. Ever since the first day he met her and called her "Carrots", she'd been adamant not to befriend him. Her last words to him were out of character, as she had never outwardly admitted to liking him. She'd even said that she'd missed him at school! For competition, of course.

Gilbert saw Green Gables up ahead. It looked beautiful still. The farm seemed to be empty, which was strange. Why wasn't Mr Cuthbert at work?

He crossed the path to the gate and opened it slowly, gazing up at the white house. There was a yawning emptiness about it, as though it was uninhabited. Thoughts of the Cuthberts being turfed out and living on the streets flashed to Gilbert's mind. He frowned, thinking of Anne in the cold winters, her cheeks flushed and her eyes dull with sadness.

She'd had enough hardship in her childhood without losing her first true home. He prayed it was not so.

Gilbert made his way up to the front door and up the steps. He rapped thrice and waited with bated breath clouding in the cold spring morning air. The door opened to a tired-looking Marilla Cuthbert. Gilbert was glad to see a friendly face here. Surely they can't have lost the farm!

"My goodness! Gilbert Blythe, as I live and breathe." Marilla smiled softly. "You look so much older. Well, Anne will be pleased to see you."

"She will?" Gilbert said without thinking. The idea of Anne being pleased to see him made Gil desperately happy.

"Would you like to come in?" Marilla asked.

"Oh, only if its no trouble." He followed the older woman into the clean house.

It looked sparsely furnished and he knew it was because of their tight budget. Marilla boiled the kettle for drinks and they sat in the kitchen.

"Anne told me of your losses, I'm glad to see you've still got Green Gables." Said Gilbert softly.

Marilla nodded. "Just about. Mathew recovered slowly from his heart attack and Jerry has been kept on to farm thanks to Miss Barry. We're getting by."

"That's good news." Gil was relieved. "I thought of you often while I was away."

"How were your travels?" Asked Marilla politely, making tea.

Gilbert had gone all the way to New York to stay with his Uncle. He'd worked all year on a building site for his Uncle's company, saving up and exploring the city on his days off. He'd learnt so much and discovered so many things. The world was so much bigger than Canada. His mind felt like it had expanded.

"I feel much older now... Travelling really does put things in perspective. I value everything more. I've seen the cities you spoke of, the ones father told you about... They weren't as impossible as we dreamt. They were just as beautiful, though." Gilbert told her.

Marilla smiled wistfully. They sat in silence for a moment, thinking deeply. Gilbert's father was on both of their minds.

"He would have been proud of you." She said quietly. "Making your way in the world, exploring... it's what he would have wanted for you, I'm certain."

Gilbert took a deep breath, feeling a lump in his throat. He missed his father so awfully, it ached in his heart. He looked away and stared out of the window. On the windowsill he saw a bunch of wildflowers and he knew instantly that Anne had collected them.

The question that was burning his tongue came to Marilla before he could breach the subject.

"You must be wondering where Anne is." She said.

Gilbert felt his mouth go dry. Something about Anne made him feel nervous. He never felt nervous around anyone, especially not girls. He was one of the most confident boys in school, he knew how to charm and outwit anyone. But Anne was different. She was smart and bold and unpredictable and fierce.

He only nodded.

"She's in the town, working. She'll be finished by tea." Marilla informed him.

"Working? Anne has a job?" Gilbert frowned. "Why? Why isn't she in school?"

"We needed the money while Mathew recovered and we're still in debted to the bank. She has to work. Mathew has doubled our crops with our last savings and I've been taking on washing and sewing for extra money." Marilla looked saddened, but her tone stayed sharp and brisk as usual. The extra work had taken its toll though, Gilbert could see it.

"Where does Anne work?" Gil asked.

"Avonlea Library. It's a good job, she likes it. She gets free books when the binding begins to tear or the pages become faded. She says its good for her imagination." Marilla sighed didsaprovingly.

She never encouraged Anne's ways but deep down she was slightly in awe of her adopted child's mind.

"She works long days though, so she has hardly any time for school." Marilla said. "I told her she must work part time, but she insisted on taking more days... That girl is too stubborn for her own good."

Gilbert thought about Anne working all day, every day, all week. No time to play outside and explore the woods and fields and spend time with her friends. No time at school, feeding her mind and learning. Things she loved, placed on the back burner for the sake of her family. He wanted to help her so badly.

What could he do?

 

A/N I post this story on wattpad too, I've never posted on here before. Hope you love it x


	2. the angel

Anne Shirley Cuthbert was tired.

She worked long hours at the library in town. She didn't earn much, but it helped out at home and that's what mattered. She worked hard to contribute paying off the debts of the loan from the bank. Anne had originally told Marilla that she'd only work three days a week and still attend school two days, but she stopped going altogether and instead took on extra days at the library.

Supporting her family was the most important thing to Anne.

Anne missed school a lot though, despite not having many friends, she ached for new subjects to learn about. She missed the challenges for her brain. The library was great for free books which fed her imagination, but usually she was too tired to read many books. Most of all she missed her best friend Diana Barry.

Anne saw Diana on weekends, and sometimes she brought Anne some work papers from school so she could keep up to date on some of the classes she was missing. Anne hadn't been to school in over a year, so she was very far behind.

Lately there was always trouble on Anne's mind. She desperately desired to help her family, but it seemed like they'd never pay off their debts. The bank kept adding interest and it seemed hopeless...

One cold spring morning, the weather was grim and cloudy. Anne felt a heaviness on her heart and she had no energy to sort the books on the shelves like she'd been asked by the manager. Her imagination only seemed able to take her to sad places, full of grey skies and misery.

As Anne called it, the depths of despair.

The door jingled and in came a tall boy around her age with a head of golden curls and bright eyes. Anne instantly thought that he looked like an angel from a painting. She straightened up to look at him properly.

"Hello, welcome to Avonlea Library. Don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything." She reeled off what she was required to say, but her mind wasn't on the words.

Anne was thinking that she hadn't seen this boy around town and she knew nearly everyone, even if only by sight. He had to be new here. Perhaps he'd come from a far off land? A different country? Maybe he'd heard of the breathtaking natural wonders of Prince Edward Island and simply had to see them for himself.

Anne's imagination was firing away for the first time in a while and she desperately hoped his past was exciting.

"I say, do you have any Dickens? I can't seem to see any of his volumes..." Asked the angelic boy softly.

His big blue eyes gazed right into Anne's eyes and she felt an unfamiliar feeling in her chest.

She quickly dispelled the feeling and focused. This boy sure was handsome but for all she knew he had a head full of sawdust! She liked intelligence in a boy. The brain was the most important part of a possible companion or partner. She'd have to get to know him to see if he had a capable mind.

"Right this way." She said, walking to the third aisle of books and scanning the fictions. She had memorised nearly every book title in the establishment. "So, do you like to read a lot? I myself truly adore books. They provide such scope for the imagination, don't you think?"

The boy beamed at the red-headed girl's passionate way of speaking. It was refreshing and exciting.

"Indeed, I love to read. My mother frets that I don't go out enough as I spend nearly all my free time with my head in a book." He jested.

"You surely have a head full of stories then, all stored away in your brain like a personal library! I have my own brain library of memorised books and poems. You can dive into them whenever you like and relive a wonderful tale..." Anne was starry eyed thinking of all the stories she had ever read.

"It certainly is helpful for tediously long train journeys..." He agreed.

"Have you been on a train lately? Is that why I haven't seen you around town? You must be new. Either that or you truly never go out, just like your mother says!"

The boy laughed loudly and Anne felt pleased to get a chuckle out of him.

"Yes, I am new here." He explained when he'd stopped laughing. A sadness entered his eyes. "I've come all the way from New York. My Mother has become terribly ill and Father wanted to come to Canada to take time off work and spend time with us. He was born in Avonlea, you see."

"I'm so sorry about your Mother." Anne felt his sadness in her heart. She was very empathetic. "I understand what it's like to have a loved one ill and I do believe nothing worries the heart more."

The boy gazed at Anne. "It is very worrisome. She's a fighter, but she's not invincible."

At the back of Anne's mind, she appreciated his use of the glorious word invincible.

"She sounds very brave and strong, I should be humbled to meet her. I will pray for her speedy recovery!" She promised.

"That's most kind of you." The boy smiled.

"Here are all of our volumes by Dickens." Anne piled them into his arms. "Oliver is my personal favourite. A riveting tale, bursting with mystery and twists! When I read it I found kinship in Oliver as a fellow orphan who had a rough start in life but luckily found a wonderful family later on."

Anne had run away with herself. The boy was intrigued by her words. He was too interested to be irritated that she'd got carried away and ruined the story's ending.

"You're an orphan?" He asked.

"Well I was, but I'm no longer alone! I've been adopted by my dearest Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert of Green Gables." She beamed. "My time in orphanages is truly over."

The boy took the books from her. "I'll check all of these out on loan please." He smiled gently.

"Of course." Anne took them to the desk and began sorting them. "Where are you staying? If you don't mind me asking."

"In Guardinia Cottage, at the edge of town." He told her. "I will be starting at school soon. Will I be seeing you?"

Anne shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. I haven't been in a long while, as I must work. I don't have any time for lessons! I miss it dreadfully."

The boy frowned. "That's rather tragic. I'm terribly sorry for you."

"Well, everybody has their trials in life that they must bare. No school is a very light trial indeed." Anne said brightly. "I'm counting my blessings that I haven't fallen off a horse and become forever wheelchair bound, or been struck by lightning while reciting poetry on a hilltop and tumbled into the ocean and been swept away, or been kidnapped by evil bandits and witness awful thievery as they travel the countryside raiding houses and stealing gold or--"

"Goodness, I really see the imagination which you spoke of." The boy laughed appreciatively. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Anne Shirley Cuthbert. What's yours?"

"I'm Joseph Bines." He told her. "I hope I'll see you around town."

"You too. Good day, Joseph Bines. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Anne nodded her head, and handed him the books.

Anne felt sure that she'd found a kindred spirit in Joseph.

As he left through the door, he smiled and said, "The pleasure is all mine, lovely Miss Shirley Cuthbert."

 

A/N hello! What does everyone think of Joseph? Comments and kudos will be highly appreciated :) thanks a lot!


	3. the fire

As usual, there was a lot on Gilbert's mind.

He had started school again, but only part time as he looked for a new job on the docks in town. He needed money.

Mrs Grey was an old friend of his father's and had been keeping his house since Gilbert went away and she had been looking after him all week. Gilbert knew she was doing it out of the kindness of her heart and a loyalty to his late father but he still felt that he better give her something towards the upkeep.

Gil still hadn't seen Anne, despite being home in Avonlea a week. Every time he thought of going to the library and seeing her, something made him hesitate. The confidence he'd felt initially had gone and he was shy again.

Anne was the only person who made him shy.

On Gilbert's first day back at school, he felt optimistic for the first time in a while. He was good at school, and he used to have a lot of friends. He was a little behind in class but he was smart, so he'd soon catch up.

Gilbert ascended the steps to the school building and took a breath. He put a pleasant smile on his face and opened the door. He scanned the pews. Nearly everyone he remembered was here, he saw a lot of familiar faces and a few new ones.

He expected a cry of "Gilbert!" like there used to be when he'd return home from a trip. Instead, he was greeted by idle chatter. Nobody noticed him.

Gilbert frowned, taking off his scarf and hat off and placing it on his old peg. He found a hat and scarf already there. Gilbert shrugged it off and found a spare hook to place his things.

Gilbert walked slowly into the main room and looked around. The teacher was new - a tall, stocky man in his fifties, writing the lesson out on the board. Gilbert saw Diana, Anne's best friend. She was sitting near the back.

Gilbert noticed all of his old friends, most of which he'd fallen out with around the time his father died. They were gathered around the desk of a new boy. The new boy had a head of golden curls like an angel. The crowd seemed besotted with him, roaring with laughter at everything he said and listening to his every word raptly.

Gilbert thought fleetingly that this was how they used to be with him at school.

Gilbert wasn't jealous, he was more mature than he used to be and he never even put much stock in popularity in the first place. There were more important things, he'd learned.

Gilbert walked up the aisle to the teacher and spoke with him. The teacher was expecting him, as Mrs Grey had arranged Gilbert's return to school. The teacher gave Gilbert a book to help him with the new lessons that he'd not learnt and told him to sit at the back.

Gilbert heard students whispering about him now that they'd noticed him. Gilbert's back. Look, it's Gilbert. He's really back! Everybody was whispering, but nobody was greeting him.

Gil suddenly felt a rush of empathy for Anne that day he had humiliated her in front of everybody by pulling her hair and he thought again, how dreadful it was when everyone was laughing about you or talking about you.

He shrugged it off best he could and made his way down the pews towards the back, his mouth feeling dry. He wasn't used to being the odd one out.

As he was walking, girl stood up on his right and he glanced up. It was Ruby Gillis, a quiet, sweet girl who used to be friends with Anne and Diana. She always seemed nice, a bit hysterical sometimes, but Gilbert always put it down to her being one of the youngest.

"Gilbert! Welcome home." She said in a rush. She blushed and smiled, looking pleased and embarrassed at the same time.

Gilbert smiled at her, gratitude lifting his heavy heart. Somebody finally acknowledged him like a human being, not whispering behind his back!

"Thank you, Ruby." He said softly.

She flushed even darker pink than before and sat down. He heard her say to her friend, "He knows my name!" Which he thought odd, as they'd gone to school together for years as children.

Gilbert reached the back, a few more students saying hello to him and welcoming him back. They must have been spurred on by Ruby's words. They had seemed to remember him somewhat. Gil looked down at Diana Barry.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, gesturing to the space beside her.

She smiled. "No, please sit."

Gilbert sank onto the bench, and took his things out. "So, everyone's forgotten me, huh?" He joked, raising an eyebrow.

Diana laughed, shaking her head. "Not at all, they're just shocked. Nobody knew you were back! They'll warm up to you soon enough."

"So, who's the new guy?" He asked, looking over at the popular blond boy. "He seems pretty... friendly."

"Oh, that's Joseph Bines." Diana told him. "He's new in town, moved here a week or two ago... Apparently his father used to live in Avonlea! They're living on the edge of town. He seems nice, he's a bit of a bragger though."

"A bragger? What's he been saying?" Gil asked curiously.

"That he's travelled all over and has seen all kinds of things... He's a little older than most of us, so naturally the boys all think he's practically a king." She said, looking at Joseph disaprovingly.

There was a pause, then -

"Apparently he's kissed dozens of girls." Diana added, rolling her eyes.

"Dozens?" Gilbert looked over at the boy.

Joseph Bines was leaning back in his chair confidently, an easy smile on his face as he spoke. His eyes were flashing around at everyone, seeming to take in everyone's reaction before he said anything more. He was handsome and had a winning smile, but Gilbert had a strange feeling about him. He was familiar.

"It's all talk, of course. You can't believe it." Diana said.

"I have a feeling that I know him from somewhere." Gil confessed.

"Really?" Diana was surprised. "Well perhaps he was staying in the same place as you? If he truly has travelled a lot, it's possible that you crossed paths."

They both looked at the new boy for a while in silence. It had to be five minutes but stretched on longer as they were lost in thought.

"Where did you go, Gilbert?" Diana asked.

"I got work on a steamer. I had to see the world, I had to get out of this town for a while... I went to New York and worked for my Uncle."

"New York? That's terribly exciting!" She smiled. "Everyone missed you. Anne especially--"

She stopped suddenly. Gilbert looked up, his ears pricking up at the sound of Anne's name.

"Well, she missed the competition of course." Diana hastily amended. "When she was in school, I mean."

Gilbert frowned. "She doesn't go anymore? Marilla said--"

"Marilla mustn't know. Anne made me promise not to tell." Diana's face was dead serious suddenly.

"Tell her what?"

"You must keep it a secret." She looked grave.

"I promise." Gilbert said hastily.

"Well, Anne doesn't attend school at all anymore... she skips and works full time at the library. She keeps up her studies as best she can, I take her lessons in secret so she can keep up the front. Oh, but I miss her dreadfully--"

"Why doesn't she come anymore?" Gilbert frowned.

"Oh, Gilbert. She needs the money desperately. The Cuthberts are still in debted with the bank." Diana was sad. "Also, Anne... well, Matthew's not fully recovered yet. He needs medicines daily. His heart is weak. Didn't you know? He had a heart attack."

Gilbert's heart felt heavy. Anne was in worse trouble than he realised. Marilla made things out to be better than they were.

"You should go to see her." Diana said.

Gilbert looked at her doubtfully.

"Gilbert, it would cheer her up." She told him.

Gilbert was hesitant, but he promised he'd go if he found the time. Truthfully, he was afraid she'd have gone back to hating him like she had for so long. They'd only been friends for a short time. What if she had decided that she could never forgive him after all for that day he teased her?

...

Gilbert was in town that weekend when he heard the shouts that there was a fire. It was a big office up the high street that had caught ablaze. Gilbert's heart dropped as he remembered that the offices were stationed directly next to the library where Anne worked!

Gilbert had never run so fast as he did in that moment. The desperation to reach the library in time to ensure Anne was safe drove his legs harder as he sped through town, calling to everyone he passed that there was a fire and help was needed urgently.

His mind flashed with images from the Gillis family's house going up in smoke and seeing Anne inside the burning building, coughing and oxygen deprived, her clothes spoiled with soot as she rushed through the house closing all the windows. He had been so afraid for her that night.

Anne was so brave.

By the time Gilbert arrived at the offices, they were almost entirely engulfed in flames. It was a great fire, sparks flying high into the sky almost reaching the clouds. The danger was terrible and there were crowds of people pumping water and carrying buckets. Everybody was in a desperate hurry and panic was thick in the air like smoke.

Gilbert's eyes flickered to the library along the pavement. The flames had not reached them, yet... Dread rose in his chest and clouded his mind.

People were calling for him to help, yet Gilbert knew he would be no use until he knew that Anne was safe. He rushed towards the library, his heart hammering. Dark smoke was filling the air. There were cries coming from the crowds. It was dangerous to be this near to a burning building.

Gilbert barely hesitated, pulling his scarf over his mouth and running headfirst into the library that was starting to smoke and catch from all the sparks on the wooden roof. The library was tidy and dark, the lamps snuffed out by all the smoke. There was a lamp on the floor, wax spewn on the shiny wooden boards. It had been dropped in a hurry.

Gilbert's heart thundered in his chest.

He searched the whole building urgently, screaming Anne's name at the top of his lung but nobody was to be there. Choking from smoke, he fled the library. He couldn't do anything more. Anne was gone. People were yelling at him to assist with the fire so he began helping to dampen the houses and nearby shops so the fire wouldn't spread. The library would be saved.

Gilbert was so worried. The streets were filling with even more smoke, even more people. Everybody was shouting or crying or panicking or barking orders. It was hectic. Heat was coming from the offices in waves and Gilbert couldn't think straight.

Where had Anne gone?


	4. the forest incident

Shortly before the fire started in the offices next door, Anne had already  found herself in trouble.

It was late one afternoon and the library wasn't busy but Anne still needed the money so there she was at work. She was in a bad mood as it had just been her time of the month and although she was coming off it, she was always left feeling sad and begrudged. The sky was darkening outside with a storm and everyone was in a hurry to get home.

Anne was carefully lighting all of the candles in the lamps and thinking about the lovely blue colour in the centre of the flames and how in illustrations people never seem to include it, opting for a standard, unoriginal orange or yellow flame.

All of a sudden the door burst open with a jingle of the bell and Anne dropped the lamp she was holding.

The hot wax spilt all over the freshly cleaned floorboards. They had been so shiny you could see your face in them. Anne had been very proud of her work and felt a rush of frustration. The wax began to dry quickly and she pictured herself scrubbing away for the rest of the evening.

Anne looked up to chastise whoever had startled her into the accident.

It was Joseph Bines!

"Anne! Thank goodness you're here--" He gasped.

He was in a state, his golden hair bedraggled and his eyes wild. His clothes were torn and his breath was heavy and quick.

"Something terrible has happened! I need your help urgently."

"What is it? What's happened?" Anne implored, forgetting all about the lamp and the wax.

"My father's valuables were being brought in today from the docks in a wagon. Someone has stolen the wagon and taken off with it!" He explained in a rush. "I saw your horse outside - please I need your help!"

"No, Joseph we must go to the police!" Anne protested.

Joseph grasped Anne's hands tightly.

"There's no time! They're going to get away!" He cried. Terrible worry showed in his eyes. "It's everything we have..."

Anne felt torn in that moment. The right thing to do was go to the police, but Anne knew what it was like to be stolen from and lose everything... She didn't want Joseph to go through it too.

Their time was running out.

Anne made a rash decision. She snatched up her shawl and followed Joseph out the back door in chase of the thieves.

...

They mounted Anne's horse quickly. Joseph insisted on sitting in front and steering the horse. Anne felt a bad feeling that she should go back and run for help, for someone to get the police, but she ignored the feeling and clambered onto the back of her horse. She held on tight.

"They rode towards the main road." Joseph told her. "We must hurry."

Joseph spurred on the horse and they took off into the night. They sped on faster and faster. The storm was churning the dark sky above them. Anne was very afraid that something bad was going to happen and she couldn't shake the feeling. They soon reached the main road with the tall dark trees either side and they saw the wagon up ahead.

"I'm gonna ride up front and spook the horses so they throw off the blasted thieves." Joseph told Anne.

He rode up and they both saw that the wagon was driven by two large men on horses. They saw Joseph coming closer and closer and were shocked. Anne thought it was strange that they didn't recognise the person they had stolen from.

She suddenly had another feeling that something was wrong.

Suddenly, Joseph leapt off of their horse and onto the thieves' horse. Anne gasped in shock and grasped onto the reins of her frightened horse. Anne had never ridden so fast before, her hands trembled.

Joseph struggled with the rider. The horses were afraid. The rider tumbled off the horse and rolled away across the dirt gravel path with a cry of pain. This was terrible.

The wagon was veering along the road as Joseph bashed against the second rider. There were shouts. The rider was yelling but Anne couldn't make it out. Anne's heart lit up with fear. What was Joseph doing?

The first rider was disappearing on the path behind them. Anne wondered if he was badly injured.

Anne looked up into the darkness. Thunder rumbled through the night and the clouds were rolling with lightning. Anne felt like she was in a bad dream. She took a deep breath. She was afraid. Rain splattered down on her face. She was shaking and her hands were bitterly cold and slipping from the reins.

Joseph was wrestling with the second rider, trying to push him off of the horse. There was a flash of silver as moonlight caught on a blade. Anne screamed for Joseph to stop, to forget the wagon and ride away.

Abruptly, a body fell off the horse and crumpled onto the road. Anne couldn't make out who had fallen. Before she could cry do anything, there was a flash and she felt searing pain in her stomach. She reached down and felt the knife wedged in her side, wet with blood. She felt numb.

Anne looked up and suddenly the wagon veered off the path, hurtling into a large tree and crashing. Gold and wood splintered across the forest. Anne felt dizzy, she ducked to avoid the wood flying through the air but her hands wet with blood slipped on the reins and her horse bolted, frightened from the crash. She was thrown out of the saddle and flew across the clearing.

The last thing she remembered was the split second of agonising pain of hitting her head on a rock before everything went dark.

A/N it might seem like everything has gone dramatic super quickly but it's all planned out dw! Let me know what you think of what's going on x leave kudos and comment


	5. Anne is missing

Gilbert stayed to help with the fire until it was under control, then he made his way as fast as he could to Green Gables.

He couldn't shake the terrible feeling that something bad had happened to Anne. Gilbert had to put his mind at rest. He remembered that Anne had lied to Marilla about how many hours she worked and the fact that she'd dropped out of school. Had she lied about other things too? Would Marilla even know where Anne was?

He approached the farm and was greeted by their farm hand who Gilbert remembered to be named Jerry. They'd only spoken a few times but Jerry seemed to have the Cuthbert's best intentions at heart. Maybe he'd be able to help Gilbert find Anne?

"Gilbert!" Jerry waved. He looked older and had grown a bit taller and broader while Gilbert was away. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Anne."

"She's not here. Mathew told me she was at Diana's today." Jerry informed him.

"Diana's? But doesn't Anne work on Saturdays? In the library?" Gilbert frowned.

"Sometimes." Jerry shrugged. "If you want to see her she'll be home soon. Or you could go by Diana's."

"Thank you. I'll go by Diana's, it's on my way home." Gilbert nodded his head to Jerry and went back the way he'd come.

...

Diana had no idea where Anne was.

As soon as she opened the door, Gilbert could tell that Anne wasn't there just by the look on Diana's face. Diana looked very confused when Gilbert asked to see Anne.

"She hasn't been by all week." Diana said.

"I went to the Cuthberts and they said she was here." Gilbert felt his heart sinking with worry.

"She must have gone to work today." Diana said, looking concerned. "But she always asks me first if she needs me to cover for her with the Cuthberts. Why would she lie to Marilla and Mathew and not tell me?"

"No, she wasn't at the library... I've been to town this evening. It was empty, it looked like someone had left in a hurry." Gilbert's mind was flooding with thoughts of what could have happened.

"Goodness, what if she's missing? What if something awful has happened?" Diana's eye widened. "Oh Gilbert, we must search for her!"

"It's getting late, won't your parents miss you?"

"They're in bed, they don't have to know."

Gilbert was surprised. He'd known Diana a long time and she'd never been bold or brave or reckless. Anne brought out the strangest traits in people. All aside, he was glad he had a friend by his side to look for Anne.

...

They decided to go back to the library in the end. It was the only place they could think of that there was a good chance Anne had been. Upon arrival they found it closed for the day. It was after dinner and most of the shops were shut so this wasn't a surprise.

"We can't give up. This is our only lead." Diana said.

Gilbert set his jaw with determination. She was right. They knew if the situation was reversed, Anne wouldn't give up. Nothing would stop her. Gilbert boldly knocked on the door. It was a loud knock and he defied the owner to sleep through it.

They waited a few moments before Gilbert knocked again, even louder. As he knocked, the door swung open to a grumpy looking man in his fifties. He scowled at the pair of young people on his front step.

"What in God's name are you doing knocking on my door this late? You should both be at home in bed." He snapped.

"It's urgent!" Diana implored.

"Our friend Anne... She's missing and we think this was the last place she was seen." Gilbert explained.

The owner of the library could see the solemn look of worry plastered on the two youth's faces. It was pure and terrible, so he decided to believe them. He recognised the girl as belonging to a high class family of Avonlea and their family would be shamed by her disrespectful behaviour. She wouldn't wake him up so late if it wasn't an emergency.

"Young Miss Shirley-Cuthbert was at work today. Young lass insisted. She gets ideas in her head and you ain't got a chance to change 'em." He sighed.

Gilbert on another occasion would have smiled fondly. That was Anne. Stubborn till the end. But he was too worried.

"She always insists on working Saturdays. I told her I had to go out and run some errands for a few hours and to mind the place till I get back. I was going to send her home for supper when I got back but after the fire everything was mighty hectic." He explained. "I weren't allowed in here for a good few hours."

"You didn't tell them that there was a young girl working in here?" Gilbert was outraged. "If the library had caught the flame, she could have died!"

"Calm yourself, boy. I told them alright, and they checked my library for themselves and there were no sign of your girl." The man scratched his head. "I assumed she'd seen the fire and run off home."

"That's not Anne." Gilbert muttered.

"She would have helped, she is clever with fires." Diana agreed.

"Was there nothing else?" Gilbert asked, feeling more desperate. "No sign of anything?"

The man thought for a moment. "Her thick warm shawl and her horse was gone. Plus, the wax on the floor - as though she'd been startled and dropped a lamp. Goodness know why she wouldn't clean it up! Floor is in a right state now."

"Her horse was gone?" Gilbert looked at Diana.

"She only uses it to ride home to Green Gables and back." Diana frowned. "You said she wasn't at Green Gables."

"What if she's left town?" Gilbert thought suddenly.

"She'd take the main road."

"We have to go check." Gilbert said. He turned to the man. "Sir, we need to borrow a horse. Do you have one?"

"I... I have one out back... She's a good horse, name's Coal. She's trusting with strangers so she'll let you ride 'er." The man told them gruffly. "You let me know if you find Anne."

"When we find Anne." Corrected Gilbert.

There was no doubt that they'd find her. Gilbert was determined. He had to find her or he wouldn't ever forgive himself. In what state or scenario they'd find her in, was another matter entirely. And Gilbert fretted a lot about that.

A/N Gil and Diana - the iconic duo you didn't know you needed! I hope you liked this chapter - next one will have more drama like last chapter. This one was more of a suspenseful filler haha

Kudos, comment and share


	6. blood on the tracks

When Anne woke up, she was drenched from head to toe.

The storm hadn't eased up and the wind whipped her red hair into her face. The second thing she was aware of was the numb, aching pain in her head and side. She felt dizzy and very weak. She managed to move her hand and felt her side. It was slick with something hot. Blood.

Panic began to set in as she thought of herself dying by the side of the road in the middle of the night. Marilla and Mathew would be terribly worried about her and how heartbroken would they be when they found out their adopted child was dead?

Anne knew she had to get somewhere dry and get something clean on her wound, but she could barely move and she was in the middle of nowhere. The horses had bolted. She was trapped.

Anne wondered what had happened to everyone else. Joseph, and the two riders. Where were they? Anne knew one rider had been thrown off a while back, but what about Joseph and the other rider? One had been in the crash and one had fallen back too. Was Joseph the one in the crash? He could be dead!

She gathered all of her strength and took a deep breath. Anne forced herself to sit up and as soon as she did she felt a sharp stab of pain in her side and her head spun. She groaned in agony and panted, her body aching. She grasped tightly onto her side. She felt as though she was holding her side together, or maybe it was the silver knife that was wedged in her body.

Anne knew she had to stem the blood. It didn't mean certain death, not if she could stop the heavy blood loss. She felt dizzy from losing a lot already, but there was still hope. She saw a strip of thick wagon sheet and picked it up. She took some deep breaths and imagined herself as the heroic Princess Cordelia, wounded in a battlefield. My Kingdom needs me. She told herself.

Anne drew the blade out. It wasn't deep, but it felt so. She cried out in agony and tears came to her eyes. She gasped in pain and with shaking fingers she wrapped the long strip of material around her waist, knotting it tightly over the gash. She fumbled with the fabric, tears blinding her. She hastily tore a patch off of her brown skirts and swiped at her eyes. It slipped from her hands and fell into the wagon wreckage, soaking in her blood.

It probably feels worse than it really is... Anne thought.

Her head was spinning again and she desperately gulped the cold night air. She looked up into the sky and focused on the stars, the darkness, the rain whipping her pale face. After several agonising moments, the severe nausea passed to allow a more tolerable nausea to take over.

I have to find a shelter. Anne decided.

Anne looked around. It was very dark despite the moon being out. Silver light filtered from behind the tall pine trees surrounding the road. The wagon was about ten feet away, embedded into a thick tree. Gold coins and jewellery littered the muddy forest floor and the hard gravel road. There were chunks and splinters of wood carpeting the ground.

Anne couldn't see a body anywhere. Perhaps Joseph had abandoned her here?

She stood up and grabbed onto a nearby tree branch to steady herself. Her legs shook. She felt weak and her head still pounded from the blow she'd sustained in the fall. If only she had some ice or something cold to press against it. She'd read that it was good for bumps and bangs.

Anne pushed herself to inspect the front of the wagon, where the last rider would have been. As she moved forward she saw something shining on the road. It was a splattering of blood. It had come from her wound, she expected. She winced as she moved around the wagon, closer to the place of impact.

There was no body lying on the floor, no sign of anyone at all. Whoever it had been steering the wagon in the last moments before the crash was long gone. Maybe they'd awoken and run away? They'd probably seen Anne on the ground bleeding and assumed her dead.

There was a fleeting thought that maybe it was Joseph and he'd seen her dying and left her here on purpose. After all, they weren't exactly friends. They'd spoken once and then suddenly she was helping him rob a wagon. She'd begun to suspect that the wagons contents did not belong to Joseph.

He had lied to her and left her for dead. The wind and rain beat down on Anne and she felt wretched. Anne was furious. The anger pushed her to walk back up the road the way she'd come. She had to get back to town where people were who could help her. Anne knew deep down she'd never make it in this storm and in this state, but she had to try.

For Marilla and Mathew's sake at least. They'd surely be terribly worried after her being out so late. She'd hate to think of them being worried for her sake.

...

Gilbert and Diana rode fast down the road. The wind and rain whipped at them harshly and the tall trees loomed up around them. Worry pumped hard in Gilbert's heart. Where had Anne gone? Why did she take the horse?

He prayed she was safe.

They were around 5 miles down when they came across a piece of material. It was a sleeve torn off a jacket. Gilbert looked at Diana, with a mix of hope at a clue and concern that it was a bad sign.

"Is it Anne's?"

"This isn't Anne's coat fabric." Diana told him. "Let's keep it in case it's a clue."

They stowed it away in the saddle bags and rode on. It was perhaps five more miles down before they saw it... a large wagon, crashed into a thick, tall pine tree. There was wood all over the road and what looked like money and jewellery too. The horses were gone and nobody was in sight.

Gilbert was off the horse in seconds, scouring the wreckage.

"Anne." He mumbled.

Diana slid off the horse and grabbed the reins, leading it over to inspect the wagon. "What's that?" She pointed to the front of the wagon, where the seats used to be.

Gilbert leaned down. It looked like paint had been splattered on the wooden planks. It was blood, he suddenly realised. Could it be Anne's?


	7. sabotaged

Anne made her way down the track for what felt like an hour. She eventually came to a fork in the road. Which way had they ridden from? If the sun was up she would have been able to tell the direction of the sunrise and sunset and therefore be able to use it to compass herself home to Green Gables. Anne was in possession of many useful skills she'd picked up as an orphan.

Anne gazed up at the milky moon with resignation. It shone down on her apologetically, as though wishing it could tell her the right way to go. If only I were the moon, thought Anne. I would be able to see the way home from way up in the sky.

Anne closed her eyes and turned slowly around on the spot, arm stretched out with a pointing finger deciding her fate. She winced as she moved, her other hand clutching her side. It was warm and wet still, and searingly painful.

Anne opened her eyes and followed her finger to the path she must take. Let's hope the moon was guiding my hand, else I'll be lost soon enough. Anne wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to last. She felt dizzier every step she took. She'd surely pass out again before long.

...

"Gilbert what if she wasn't even on the wagon? It could be entirely coincidental..." Diana suggested. "Anne could have passed this way hours before this accident happened."

Gilbert was still sifting through the wreckage, heart hammering. His mind was oddly blank, as though he could not think properly until he knew where Anne was. He barely registered Diana's words. He knew she could be right. Yet he needed this to be some sort of lead as to where Anne was, he felt helpless if it was unrelated. All they had to go on before was a theory.

"Gilbert, we should go. We could still catch her up." Diana said.

Gilbert lifted a sheet and he saw more relatively fresh blood on a large piece of wood. It made him feel sick. He wasn't nauseous when he saw blood, but the thought of it once belonging to Anne made him sick with worry.

"Diana." He said and his voice came out hoarse.

Diana came over and her face fell even more. She hesitated before saying, "It might not be Anne's." She murmured.

"It might be." He said. "Look."

Gilbert picked up a scrap of fabric. He bit his lip as he examined it. There was no doubt this time. He handed it to Diana wordlessly.

"Oh." Diana saw the cloth and the look on her face confirmed what Gilbert already knew.

The fabric soaked in blood was torn from Anne skirts. It was thick brown cotton, the kind she'd regularly complain about about being so plain and dull. Gilbert looked at Diana, silently pleading her for answers.

"We must go back, Gil. We need help."

He shook his head.

"What if something happened to her?" Gilbert's voice was choked and unfamiliarly weak. "She could be in danger."

Diana gazed at the boy and realised then that he cared for Anne a whole lot more than he let on. She already knew he and Anne's rivalry hid a secret desire to be friends, a secret admiration of shared intellect. But she never dreamt that Gilbert Blythe would be smitten with the girl he nicknamed Carrots on her first day of school.

"She needs us, Diana." He said, almost begging.

"Okay." Diana sighed. "We'll keep searching. But I honestly believe we should back back. If Anne was hurt she would go back to town, to find a doctor. This is a lot of blood, she's probably badly hurt."

"If this is all from Anne, she wouldn't make it far." Gilbert muttered. "We could catch her up."

Diana nodded, and mounted the horse. Gilbert climbed on in front, as he was the better rider due to working his dad's farm as a boy. Gilbert took a last glance at the crash site before fixing his eyes on the road and spurring the horse on their way.

...

Joseph Bines was angry.

The night had not gone to plan, and now he'd be in big trouble. This Anne girl had sabotaged his robbery. He had been thrown off the horse after the wagon crashed and landed in the forest. His arm was gashed open but he bound it up from his torn shirt and inspected the crash. The Anne girl was alive, losing blood slowly from a deep slice in her side. One of the riders had thrown a blade. Joseph hadn't expected that.

Joseph had underestimated a lot that night. He thought Anne was perfect for the robbery. She was ready to help an almost stranger within days of meeting him. She was very imaginative and expressive so easily pinned as a liar. She was a orphan so she had a lot of stereotypes attached to her as being a rough, dangerous criminal.

Joseph Bines laid out the plan. He'd steal the wagon and hide the loot. When the police heard about the job he'd deny all involvement and Anne would be blamed as she'd try to tell the truth but be seen as a lying thief covering her tracks. As soon as the case was closed he'd leave town with the gold and move onto the next job. He'd been doing this job for a long while and he knew what he was doing. Perhaps this was the reason he was so angry that this girl of around 14 had ruined his plans.

Joseph searched the woods for a while for the riders, before heading back to wake up Anne. He planned to warn her against reporting this to the police.

But Anne was gone. There was just a lot of blood smeared on the wood. Joseph cried out in frustration and anger. He kicked the wreckage and shards of wood flew across the road. He saw something glimmering in the carcass of the wagon. It was the silver knife... Joseph slowly picked it up and smiled.

He'd find Anne and get his revenge. She'd never dare to snitch after he was finished with her.


End file.
